How to Get the Most Out of the Logos iPhone App

The Logos 4 release has been big news for the past seven weeks since it first came out. Response has been overwhelming, and we’ve been so busy with the release of Logos 4 that we haven’t had much time to talk about the other big project we recently launched—the free Logos Bible Software iPhone app.

Begin reading the Bible, searching, comparing versions, and setting up reading plans to keep you in the Word every day. Anyone with the Logos iPhone app may instantly access around 30 Bibles to read on their iPhone or iPod Touch.

Tens of thousands of people who had never even heard of Logos, before the iPhone app, have already downloaded the free app, and love it. Many users have gotten even more out of the app by registering to gain access to more than 30 additional free books. Again, you don’t ever have to register. You can keep using it free and anonymous forever if you prefer, but by registering you are able to access a total of more than 60 books, plus the app itself—all without spending a dime.

However, when you upgrade to a new Logos 4 base package, you get a key which tells our servers to grant you access to all the books that you have ever purchased for Logos Bible Software old or new, as long as our publishing partners have given us permission to display each title on the iPhone.

This bonus feature in the new Logos 4 base package allows you to access up to 3,000 of the titles you own on the iPhone—not just books in the new base packages, but also books you may have purchased ten or fifteen years ago. And we’re making new books available regularly as we secure rights and convert titles to the new format.

Even better, the iPhone app isn’t just about reading books. It also incorporates many of the features and tools you’ve come to love about Logos Bible Software:

Bible study anywhere. Now you have access to many of the books in your library wherever you go.

Syncs with your desktop application. The app remembers your favorite resources, bookmarks, and settings across all platforms. Logos 4 even saves your last location in each of your books, so you can leave your desk and pick up your reading right where you left off using your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Stay up to date on your daily readings with a Bible Reading Plan. As a Logos 4 user you can complete your reading on your computer or iPhone and both will keep your plan up to date.

Learn more about a word by running a Bible Word Study. Get a report with links to dictionaries, lexicons, verses using the word, and view various translations of the Greek or Hebrew word.

Like the desktop version of Logos Bible Software, the Passage Guide allows you to enter a verse and get a detailed report that includes relevant commentaries, cross references, literary typing, media resources, and interesting words.

Learn more about the original language words behind the English translation. Tap and hold any word in your Bible and Logos Bible Software will look up the word and deliver the manuscript, lemma, and morphological information on the Greek or Hebrew word.

Just feel like reading a book? Browse through your library and open one up. If you’ve opened the book before on your iPhone or computer, it will pick up right where you left off.

Many of the people who have never heard of Logos and started using the iPhone app have enjoyed it so much, that they’ve purchased a Logos 4 base package—just to access all the new content. They aren’t buying a Logos 4 package to use the desktop app, they are buying Logos 4 simply to access a ton of great books on their iPhone.

And the ability to access many of your titles on the iPhone is just one of the hundreds of brand new features that come with each Logos 4 base package or base package upgrade. So think about it: if people who’ve never heard of Logos are buying Logos 4 base packages just so they can access additional books on their iPhones, imagine the benefits you will get—as someone who is already an experienced Logos user, and already aware of all the great benefits of using Logos on your desktop—when you upgrade to a new Logos 4 base package.

I don’t like the app because it does not store your books on your phone. Everytime you access one it redownloads the material. This is fine for those in US, but in other countries this can prove to be a very expensive exercise. You should be able to connect your iPhone/ iPod touch to your computer and be able to transfer the books you want to take mobile directly onto the device. Until the product reaches this level of maturity I wouldn’t consider using it or recommending it to others.

Rod,
I am not sure what to tell you about this one. I have just accessed library.logos.com from a couple different browsers and didn’t have any problems. I did check Opera and it wasn’t loading there for some reason, we are currently looking into it. A co-worker is sitting next to me browsing library.logos.com on his BlackBerry, so that is working.
Thank you for the heads up!

Tami,
We are still hard at work on the Mac version of Logos 4, but rest assured that Logos 4 is a multi-platform software that syncs your resources from your Logos.com account. The iPhone app pulls your resources from your account online no matter what platform (PC or Mac) you are using.

Has anyone experienced problems with the reading list descriptions not matching on the iPhone versus the PC/Mac software descriptions? I have been experiencing this problem since 1.1 and above for the iPhone, and it has caused countless new reading lists to be created and then synced back to the Logos 4 software. When renamed on the computer, they don’t necessarily transfer back to the iphone. Some rename, but if not, new ones are created. It ends up renaming with (2), (3), and etc after each newly created reading lists. Then, these new lists are both on the PC/Mac software and the iPhone. I’ve tried delting the iPhone app from the phone and reinstalling, but I’ve had no luck. Also, does anyone know how to delete reading lists? This way I can at least clean up the reading lists until new updates are available.
Thanks for your help.

Jimmy,
iPhone enablement comes with all Logos 4 base packages, whether you’ve upgraded or you’re a first time user. Just download the free iPhone app on your iPhone or iPod touch, then sign in, and you’re good to go! Check out Logos.com/iPhone or visit the iPhone forums.

I discovered and started using the iPhone app after upgrading to Logos 4. I liked Logos 4 from the beginning but the iPhone app really added a lot. I really enjoy being able to keep up with my daily reading on my iPhone when I am away and then have everything synchronized when I return home to my laptop. It’s really great to see a software product work so well. Thanks!

I’m enjoying reading the bible on my Iphone. I have several comments.
1 Although I have it in my collection of Logos titles, I can’t seem to download the NAB for Catholics. I really like that translation as well as the notes on that version. Any thougts?
2. Noticed that the bible in a year readings are not the same on the Iphone and my version on my computer?
3. Lastly I don’t seem to be able to get certain other books on my Iphone
Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

I talked to Blackberry the other day and they informed me that they now have available Greek and Hebrew for their phones. If Verizon will support it for my BB storm, then all we need is for a developer to give us some language support for the BlackBerry Storm.
One of the reasons I bought it is because of the bigger screen. I am using Olive Tree Bible software, which works very well but would like to have more options, including the languages. Look forward to you getting something developed like you have on the iphone.

You said you were trying to get books to be available off-line… Did I just find out that you can use some of the logos books on the iphone off-line? It looks like I was able to get my ESV and Grudem’s Systematic to be available offline!
Fantastic and do you have a list of which books are available offline?
Thanks and a huge download tonight as well (on New Year’s night here in Korea that is). May the Lord bless you folks abundantly.

I’ve been playing around with the iTouch version of this software and are really impressed with it. As a long time PocketBible user, this is more what I was looking for… using my Logos library away from my PC. However, many of the books I routinely use including the Book of Concord and Luther’s Works are not available yet. Any idea when they may become available for the iPhone app?

I’m on the Droid phone and checked library.logos.com as advised.
WOW! 804 of my resources are there so far. WOW!
This was free service of logos?! OK, I’m impressed!
Immediately I thought of possibilities which brought me to a desire, I would really appreciate the ability to access my custom reading plan and books in the plan (assuming the books were among those with publisher permission). I can’t say that would throw logos over the top, you are already there, nevertheless I ask :-)
Allen

Jimmy,
If you downloaded the free Logos 4 engine, then you won’t be able to access your books on your iPhone. You’ll need to upgrade to a Logos 4 Base Package to access your books.
You can, of course, access around 30 books for free with the app, and access another 30 free books by registering. For the additional books, you’ll need to own a Logos 4 base package.

Pete,
We’re making more titles accessible on the iPhone as we secure rights from publishers and convert titles to the new format.
Your reading plans should sync across all platforms: Windows, Mac, and iPhone. There could be a number of reasons why you might be experiencing a delay in syncing.
If this is a regular problem, however, then this is a bug. You can report it at cs@logos.com or drop a note in the iPhone forums. Our tech team will take a look at it. Hope this helps.

I have had trouble, off and on, with the (iPod touch first) iPhone not staying up to date with my main computer. The daily Bible reading gets way behind on my iPod/iPhone, and I can not check it off on the iPhone either. Am I needing something I am missing?